


Best of the Best

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-12
Updated: 2006-03-12
Packaged: 2019-01-19 14:24:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12412026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: She was an auror. Best of the best, emotionless even in the face of death. The coffin was lowered into the ground. Alice wept.





	Best of the Best

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

**Summary:**  She was an aurors. Best of the best, emotionless even in the face of death. The coffin was lowered into the ground. Alice wept.

**Author's Note:** Wow. I'm writing again. =D Beta'd by Arch, whom I loooooooove.  <3 Mmm, very short oneshot, I know. Enjoy.

 

_Here they talked of revolution._ __

                                           Here it was they lit the flame.

__

                                         Here they sang about `tomorrow'

__

                                            And tomorrow never came. 

__

_\- Empty Chairs at Empty Tables - Les Miserable -_

__

**  Best of the Best **

Alice cried bitter tears; her forehead pressing lightly into Frank's collarbone. They were among the mourners, who stood watching in morbid silence - only broken by bouts of tears and sobbing from the onlookers - as the coffins of Lily and James Potter were lowered into the ground. Frank's arms circled around Alice's shoulders, whispering soothing words into her ear. Small, broken sobs wracked her body as she clung to her husband, eyes tightly shut.

They were the best of the best - the most prized Aurors the Ministry had to offer. The best of the best; the hardest of the hard. Nothing fazed them.

Alice wept.

"They're gone. She's gone," Alice murmured into his neck, her face hot with sticky tears. It felt as though somebody had taken a frozen spoon, scooped it up inside her and taken away all that was left of her emotion. Alice and Frank had been on the team that had gone out to the Potter residence, on the information that Lord Voldemort had struck yet again. The blonde haired witch could vaguely remember walking through the splintered wood and broken remains of the house, tears streaming down her face, whispering 'not Lily' repeatedly. The moment she saw dead body of one of her best friends, Alice broke down and cried. 

"It's alright, Alice. It's alright," Frank rubbed her back soothingly, his own voice catching at her name. The weather was overcast: little droplets of water falling from the sky. The ceremony had been short and simple, friends and family of the Potters all gathered on the lawn of the cemetery. Sirius Black had been taken to Azkaban, Peter Pettigrew was dead and Remus Lupin was left to pick up the pieces of his life. The Order was broken; Marlene McKinnon being one of the first to die, the Prewetts soon after and then Dorcas Meadows. They all died the deaths of heroes, loyal to the end. 

Alice wept.

She took a shuddering breath, barely aware of the organ music playing around them. Her fingers dug painfully into his shirt, not wanting to ever let go. Frank raised his head, looking around at the other mourners. Among them stood Mad-Eye Moody, Amelia Bones, Emmeline Vance and Hestia Jones. He gave them all a short nod. Some of the only remaining members of the Order - they had survived the war. Emmeline was staring at the coffins, her face void of emotion. Mad-Eye was much the same, standing in deafening silence, with his hands clasped in front of him.

Hestia was holding onto Amelia Bones who sobbed openly, her own face red and flushed.

"It's not alright, Frank. It's not alright," Alice muttered, her voice cracking over each syllable. She felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her gently away from Frank. The Auror looked up, staring into the friendly eyes of the priest who looked on at her sympathetically. 

"It's... time," the priest said quietly and Alice nodded, taking another shuddering breath as she moved ahead of everybody. Tears continued to stream freely down her face and she was sure she saw disapproval turn to sympathy on Moody's face. Wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue, she accepted her son into her arms, taking the young Neville away from his grandmother. 

"Lily and James," Alice spoke up, taking another deep breath. She looked to Frank, for support and he gave it, encouraging her with his eyes. Her own eyes flickered shut as she spoke again, "Lily and James were some of the best people I've ever known. Some of the best aurors and best friends that have ever passed through the Ministry. They died for us-" her voice broke again, another sob escaping her, "they sacrificed themselves so we would all live in a world free of death. Free of Lord Voldemort."

There was a loud collective gasp from the mourners but Alice didn't apologize, eyes still squeezed tightly shut.

"They died so our children would live in a world that wasn't overrun by war and terror. He is gone and it is because of them that he is, they gave their lives for all of us. And for that, we will always love them. Always be thankful of them. If there is ever a time when you yourself have to make a decision that could mean your life against the rest of the world's, remember them - remember what they did," Alice finished, blue eyes flickering open. Tears glistened at the corners and she moved away from the crowd, arms embracing her son tightly in a motherly hold.

She felt arms around her shoulder, as she leaned into the hold. Frank, Alice and Neville. Here where they were, nothing could harm them. In Frank's embrace, Alice felt safe. Even if all the world came crashing down around them and everyone died, Alice knew she would always be safe. She would always be with Frank, no matter what. 

As they walked past the crowds, she felt various sympathetic touches. The rain that fell from the sky cooled her flushed skin, wetting her tearstained face. 

"Alice..." Frank trailed off, his voice still holding the soothing note.

"Let's just go home," Alice whispered, feeling a dull headache start beneath her eyelids. Home was safe, safer than out here.

                                                              * * *   

About a week later, Bellatrix, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange (accompanied by Barty Crouch Jr.) reduced the best minds the Ministry into childlike dregs of their former selves.

_Nobody_ was safe. It was war and the light had disappeared, only replaced with the darkness that would hang over the Wizarding World for years to come. The fear to speak a name, glance over one's shoulder and the shadows of the past would never go away. And all the while, baby Harry Potter slept peacefully in a crib at one Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey unaware of his future.

 

**Author's Note:** Sucks? Doesn't? Sound good? Ok. Review.  <3 


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